Orepuki Lad shrugged off another midrace attack to win the Invercargill Gold Cup and continue Courtney Barnes’ excellent season in the saddle on Saturday. The Graham and Michael Eade-trained 7yr-old dug deep after hitting the front on the home turn to win the Ascot Park feature for the second time in three years. A noted frontrunner, Orepuki Lad has been challenged a long way from home by horses that have eventually faded out of the finishes of his last three starts. On Saturday, Orepuki Lad got due reward for his gritty efforts when holding out the late finish of runner-up City Slicker to score a deserved win. “She picked up a bad virus after her win here [at Ascot Park] as a 2yr-old.

Source: Otago Daily Times February 21, 2021 15:33 UTC